Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST 1) Course

Friday, January 19th – Sunday, January 21st, 2018

Take the first step toward safety and fun when travelling in the backcountry in the winter. Skookum Salmon Arm and Peak Snow Sense are offering the Avalanche Canada certified Avalanche Skills Training 1 (AST 1) course this January in Salmon Arm. This is a great opportunity to start your touring season right and safely.

Why: Because you want to be able to enjoy the amazing recreational opportunities our mountain landscape offers and continue to enjoy them over and over again!

Registration: It’s easy to sign up by phone, email or in person. Call Skookum at (250) 832-7368 and get pre-registered with your name phone number and email address. Or, email Greg at: greg@skookumcycle.com. Want to sign up in person? Drop by the shop at Skookum Cycle & Ski Ltd., 141 Shuswap St. NW, downtown Salmon Arm, next to Blue Canoe Bakery.

Cost: $250 + GST – Includes course materials, Avalanche Canada certificate and field day transportation from and to Skookum in Salmon Arm.

Course Overview:

Do you venture out of bounds, off the trails or into the backcountry? An AST 1 is your place to start. You don’t need any experience to take this course. It is a must for everyone recreating in the backcountry or slackcountry.

This is the course where you’ll learn how to recognize avalanche terrain and how to self-rescue. An AST 1 is a minimum of two days with both classroom and field components. You need to take this course first and so should your friends because just one person trained in a group is not enough. Everyone in your group should take an AST 1. In taking the course, you will recognize that an AST 1 course is only the beginning – the avalanche pros will tell you avalanche training is a lifelong process.

What you will learn in an AST 1:

Avalanche formation and release

How to identify avalanche terrain

The basics of trip planning

Optimal use of tools and resources like the avalanche forecasts to mitigate your avalanche risk